Norton Aluminium (
www.nortal.co.uk), a Cannock-based aluminium recycler, recently opened its doors to a visit by engineering students from the University of Birmingham.
Managing director Andrew Fogarty said: “The visit is part of an on-going relationship with the university that goes back 10 years in the continued pursuit of metallurgical excellence in the field of aluminium smelting and applied learning in a real industry environment.
“We wanted to give something back to the engineering community by engaging with one of our local universities. With ageing workforces and a general lack of understanding of the opportunities in our sector within education and the wider business community, sharing what we do with aspiring young engineers and professionals is a duty that all employers in manufacturing and engineering firms in the UK have.”
University student Uriel Tradowsky said: “We were given a lot of insights; we could see that the team are really proud of what they are doing, and I now understand why.”
Plant manager Trevor Bird said: “In our view, its all part of our social contract to engage with engineers of the future, some of whom may go on to use aluminium. It was a pleasure to spend time with the students, and our shopfloor team were very proud to be involved.”